Tiny creature — with ‘invisible’ eggs — marks amazing comeback on Australia coast

As spring approaches in the Southern Hemisphere, a group of little birds make a long journey.

Little terns, a small seabird, travel hundreds or even thousands of miles across the ocean to land on the beaches of Australia to breed.

This year, they came in record numbers.

“Little terns in (New South Wales) have experienced another great breeding season, with more than 900 nests counted across the state, the second-highest number in 24 years,” wildlife officials said in a May 5 news release from the environment and heritage department.

There were 24 nesting sites found along the coast, including nests from 485 breeding pairs, officials said. This was a jump from the year before, which saw 430 breeding pairs.

“This incredible number of breeding pairs resulted in an estimated 510 fledglings, making it the highest count of fledglings recorded and a substantial jump from last year’s figure of around 370,” officials said.

Little terns face threats similar to other beach-nesting birds, including native and invasive predators, being crushed or disturbed by vehicles or people, and flooding of their nesting sites, according to the release.

“Beach-nesting birds, like little terns, lay eggs directly on the sand where they are so well camouflaged, they become almost invisible, making them vulnerable to beach visitors,” officials said. “It’s important beach goers understand the impact they can have on the breeding season of these endangered birds over spring and summer every year.”

The nests were counted by an army of volunteers, park staff, local councils, land managers and contractors who conducted 5,000 observations this season, officials said.

“Despite these promising numbers, these birds remain on the edge, and continued efforts are vital to protect them along our coast, and every person can play a role in making a difference,” said Trish Harrup, the acting deputy secretary of the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, in the release.

New South Wales is an Australian state on the southeastern coast of the country.

Irene Wright

McClatchy DC

Irene Wright is a McClatchy Real-Time reporter. She earned a B.A. in ecology and an M.A. in health and medical journalism from the University of Georgia and is now based in Atlanta. Irene previously worked as a business reporter at The Dallas Morning News.